Chapter 78

Mondstadt hang-gliders were the greatest thing ever. Because jumping off a flying castle and swiftly gliding away is the perfect way to get away from people wanting to question you or likewise bring you stress.

Gliding back home I frowned as I saw Madam Ping and Yanfei talking with the girls outside on the back porch so I diverted my path so I would land in the back lot with my girls perking up as I landed.

"I am back girls... And I managed to keep us from getting dragged into more trouble." I announced with Lumine actually smiling wryly as trouble always followed us regardless.

"Oh, Ningguang isn't so bad." Madame Ping said smiling as she poured me a cup of tea and gently set the filled tea cup on a coaster in front of me.

I silently took a drink of the tea... And oh my god this was the best tea I have ever had in either of my lives. Maybe they were onto something with their whole aesthetic cultivator lifestyle of hiding in pocket dimensions.

"So Madam Ping, I had an academic question," I spoke and she perked up smiling gently like the grandma she liked to portray herself as. "So are the Adepti magical arts like magical runes or something?" I asked trying to satisfy my question and even Yanfei listened closely as Madam Ping gave a brief overview of Adepti Arts and I was right about it being some kind of low-end cultivation mumbo jumbo.

"Hmm yes, it can be young Jake." She answered before going into more detail. "Adepti Arts are separated into three main categories typically. The art of mechanics. Is the use of those runes you mentioned to provide energy by converting the world's natural elemental energy into Adepti energy to be used by mechanisms and other objects? Next is the Adepti martial arts which allow the user superhuman strength beyond most vision wielders by slowly absorbing the elemental energy that is most attuned to them into their body to augment it." Madam Ping spoke before she looked at Yanfei.

"Yanfei dear why don't you explain the last form of Adepti arts as you yourself are working towards reaching that level as well." Madam Ping said gently as she tested her apprentice of Adepti Arts.

Yanfei sighed and scratched her head as she looked at Madam Ping with a look of blame before she spoke. "Ugh... The last form of Adepti Arts doesn't really have a set name due to it being so difficult and all-encompassing. Basically what it is. Is the act of forcing the world and laws of Teyvat to bend to the will of the user and a couple of examples of its use are the creation of pocket dimensions and Morax's usage of it to make Mora, a currency of solidified pure and untainted power that acts as catalysts to make and fuel practically anything remotely magical." Yanfei explained and I hummed in thought as I never really thought about how the Mora we carried wasn't actually Geo attributed.

"Good work explaining Yanfei, I see you have studied well." Madam Ping said congratulating her apprentice with a gentle smile as her wizened face turned back towards me as Paimon settled back over by Lumine as Eula subtly sidled closer to me so our hips touched. "I do not believe you to be interested in such an aesthetic lifestyle as to become adept in any form of Adepti arts is a matter of taking decades except for a couple of exceptions. So why ask?" She asked conversationally and I shrugged.

"Honestly I was just curious as I have seen some of the old Adepti abodes before I met with Lumine back in Mondstadt, as well as seeing some of the areas with massive glowing wards as we flew over Liyue's countryside," I responded as I wrapped an arm around Eula's waist and pulled her closer.

Madam Ping raised an eyebrow at my words but shrugged as she herself too a drink of her tea before sighing with relaxation. "Hmm well, I believe my old bones are ready for a decent rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day with the Rite of Descension after all." Madam Ping said joyously before patting Yanfei on her shoulder. "So don't stay up too late little Yanfei as the kids will likely wish to see you as well tomorrow before the festivities get too rambunctious haha." Madam Ping chuckled as she walked slowly with her back hunched over and I couldn't help but recall how she looked in her true Adepti form as a young woman but with the death of her old friend Guizhong she just kinda gave up and became the grandma of the kids of Liyue.

Eula then chuckled as she more fully leaned on me speaking to Yanfei. "Anyway Yanfei, would you care to have dinner with us tonight at the return of Jake and Lumine from Inazuma?" Eula asked trying to be nice but Yanfei shook her head smiling as she stood up.

"No thank you Eula, I appreciate it but I have some paperwork of my own to fill out and hand into the Qixing in the morning before the festival starts. Have a nice night though!" Yanfei said as she left through the back gate and at her friend's refusal Eula only shrugged before she smiled at Paimon who was menacingly giggling under her breath.

"No Paimon that doesn't mean you get to eat the extra's we prepared for Madam Ping and Yanfei, they can be leftovers for tomorrow so we don't have to cook." Eula said crossly as she folded an arm under her chest as she stared down the 'Sin of Gluttony'.

"Eula! Eating leftovers... Is like a sin! How could we even allow leftovers to exist in this terrible world!" Paimon cried out dramatically and both me and Lumine rolled our eyes smiling as Eula and Paimon bickered with Lumine finally bringing over a large pot filled with boiling very dense broth that was filled with vegetables and meat for us to pick out and eat at our leisure.

"So how did going to Inazuma go anyway? I never really got to ask as Madam Ping and Yanfei were already here when Lumine got here with Paimon." Eula spoke in between bites of the great food that Lumine made.

Lumine looked at me and her smile was nothing but evil as she gently put down her chopsticks and then pointed at me with her finger like she was condemning me to some terrible fate or accusing me of some kind of crime. "This damned fool decided to ride the Lightning," Lumine said and at Eula's blink of utter confusion, Lumine continued with her voice being as dry as the Deserts of Sumeru. "Yeah, he thought fighting the Electro Archon directly was going to be a wonderful idea. All in order to earn her respect and become her student."

I could literally hear Eula's neck pop and grind as she slowly turned her head towards me from where she was previously resting it on my shoulder and as her cold ice blue eyes met mine I whispered. "Mercy?"

Eula slowly came inched forward and as she softly kissed my ear I heard her whisper. "Nope, Vengeance will be mine."